2016 Cap Outlook: Pittsburgh Steelers
Through the 2015 NFL season, Pro Football Rumors will be looking ahead to the 2016 offseason, gauging the salary cap situation for each of the league’s 32 teams. The cap for 2016 hasn’t been set yet, but we can still assess the salary commitments made by a club and determine whether or not that club will be in good financial shape going forward.
In addition to evaluating each team’s overall cap situation, we’ll focus in on a few key players who may be candidates to be extended, restructured, or released by their current teams. These lists aren’t comprehensive, and depending on a player’s 2015 performance and health, he could drop off one of these lists – or be added to one – as the season goes on. For now though, these are some players to watch.
Using data from Over The Cap, we’re making our way through NFL teams in order of total salary commitments for 2016. Today’s team is the Steelers, who currently have the fifth-highest total for their ’16 cap.
Let’s dive in….
Top 10 cap hits for 2016:
- Ben Roethlisberger, QB: $23,950,000
- Lawrence Timmons, LB: $15,131,250
- Antonio Brown, WR: $12,370,833
- Maurkice Pouncey, C: $10,551,000
- Cameron Heyward, DE: $10,400,000
- David DeCastro, G: $8,070,000
- Heath Miller, TE: $7,181,668
- Mike Mitchell, S: $6,763,750
- Marcus Gilbert, RT: $6,461,000
- Cortez Allen, CB: $5,750,000
Current 2016 cap number for top 51 players: $144,927,485
With a new contract extension in hand, Roethlisberger will continue to be the Steelers’ highest-paid player – with the club’s largest cap number – going forward. But he’s hardly the only veteran player who has a substantial cap hit in 2016. Timmons’ figure is perhaps the most interesting, since it’s extremely rare to see a cap charge get that high for any inside linebacker. He’s followed by three other players with eight-digit cap numbers, two of whom signed new contract extensions within the last year and a half.
Candidates for extension:
- Antonio Brown, WR
- David DeCastro, G
Brown had hoped to sign a new contract this past offseason, but ultimately settled for a reworking of his deal that saw some money moved from 2016 to 2015. It’s not a surprise that the Steelers were unwilling to do anything more drastic, since the pact runs through the 2017 season, and extending it so early would set an unwanted precedent. However, the two sides could revisit talks this coming offseason.
Brown’s current contract calls for him to make a combined $15MM in base salary in 2016 and 2017, which is far below the salaries that recently-signed wideouts like Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, and T.Y. Hilton are getting. So Brown should be in line for a nice raise. Still, depending on how the Steelers structure an offer, an extension could significantly reduce Brown’s 2016 cap number from its current $12.37MM figure.
As for DeCastro, he has a fifth-year option keeping him under contract with Pittsburgh for the 2016 season. DeCastro is a steady, reliable presence in the middle of the Steelers’ offensive line, but the team will likely want to bring down his cap charge for next year a little, since it currently exceeds $8MM. If DeCastro were to sign a long-term extension, the annual average would likely be a little less than that, and the new deal could be backloaded, reducing his impact on the 2016 cap.
Candidates for restructure:
- Marcus Gilbert, RT
- Cameron Heyward, DE
- Mike Mitchell, S
- Maurkice Pouncey, C
- Ben Roethlisberger, QB
Most of the players listed here have contracts with similar structures — Gilbert, Heyward, Mitchell, and Pouncey will all see their cap hits increase significantly in 2016 and remain fairly high in future seasons, so if the Steelers choose to restructure any of those deals, they could be creating problems down the road. I wouldn’t expect the club to want – or need – to restructure all four players, but one or two of them could be addressed if cap room start getting tight.
Heyward and Pouncey could be the top candidates for restructures, for a couple of reasons. For one, their cap charges are a few million dollars larger than Gilbert’s or Mitchell’s, so restructuring those deals will make a bigger impact. Additionally, their contracts through 2019 or 2020, meaning a signing bonus can be spread across several seasons without affecting a single year too negatively.
Roethlisberger’s contract may be the most logical one for a restructure though — his $23.95MM cap hit for 2016 is higher than his cap numbers in 2017, 2018, or 2019, so moving some money to those later years isn’t quite so risky, and it could create massive flexibility in the short term, if necessary.
Candidates for pay cut or release:
- Cortez Allen, CB
- Jacoby Jones, WR
- Heath Miller, TE
- Arthur Moats, OLB
- Lawrence Timmons, LB
It’s hard to imagine the Steelers releasing either Miller or Timmons, who have been with the franchise since 2005 and 2007, respectively. Nonetheless, the team will have to take a hard look at both players’ contracts, which expire at the end of the 2016 season.
Miller hasn’t been quite as productive this year as he has been in some recent seasons, though his slightly reduced numbers could be a result of the quarterback carousel that began when Roethlisberger was injured. Timmons, meanwhile, battled a toe injury during the preseason, and hasn’t been as effective in the middle of the defense as he has been in years past. Pittsburgh could create $4MM in cap savings by cutting Miller, and nearly $9MM by cutting Timmons, though pay cuts or extensions are probably more likely.
Allen and Jones, on the other hand, look like obvious release candidates, though Jones’ deal is much easier to shed than Allen’s, which will still include $4MM+ in dead money in 2016. Given how little the Steelers have gotten out of the cornerback since he signed that extension with the club, it’s hard to see how they can keep him at a $4MM base salary though, so that deal will need to be addressed in some form. For his part, Jones would have to have a huge second half in 2015 to return on his current $3MM salary for 2016.
Moats’ case falls somewhere in the middle. His $2.5MM base salary for next season isn’t exorbitant, and he has a pair of sacks for the Steelers this year. But he’s not exactly irreplaceable, and if Pittsburgh plans to address the outside linebacker position in the draft, there will be players that could replicate Moats’ production at a lesser cost. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the veteran linebacker return on his current contract, but the Steelers should have to at least consider making a move.
Contract information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post.
Community Tailgate: AFC Playoff Picture
As the NFL regular season nears its home stretch, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
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With seven weeks remaining in the NFL season, a few division races around the league are closer than others. Bills head coach Rex Ryan admitted this week that the 9-0 Patriots will almost certainly win the AFC East, considering New England holds a four-game lead over both the Jets and Ryan’s Bills. Elsewhere though, there’s a little more drama, if you can call the AFC South race “dramatic” — two teams with sub-.500 records – the 4-5 Colts and Texans – are currently tied for first place in the South.
We’ll get to the NFC next week, but today, we want to take a look at the AFC playoff picture. The Pats are locks to reach the postseason, and the 8-1 Bengals look like a pretty safe bet as well, but are there any other sure things?
The 7-2 Broncos hold a three-game division lead, and should have no problem winning the West, but they’ll be relying on Brock Osweiler at quarterback for at least the short-term future, so there are no guarantees. The 6-4 Steelers have looked solid, but they’ve also been hit hard by injuries, and they don’t have much room for error, with eight AFC teams sitting on either four or five wins. The Bills and Jets are the only five-win teams, but the four-win Dolphins, Raiders, Chiefs, Colts, Texans, and Jaguars are all lurking.
What do you think? Will the three AFC teams with big division leads hang on? Which club will win the AFC South, and which teams will snag Wild Card spots? Are you predicting a second-half surge or collapse from any postseason contenders?
Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts and predictions!
Extra Points: Goodell, Los Angeles, Draft
The NFL and NFL Players Associations are engaged in negotiations regarding commissioner Roger Goodell‘s role in player discipline, and according to NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith, the two sides are having “the right conversations,” writes Mark Maske of the Washington Post. While there’s been some speculation that resolving Goodell’s involvement in the player-discipline process might have to wait until the next CBA extension, both sides have noted that modifications could be made before that.
“There’s no need for other issues,” Smith said. “We’ve resolved drug policy as a stand-alone issue. We cut side letters to the collective bargaining agreement every year that are issues. At the end of the day, I think that this is an important issue for both sides. And I don’t think either the players or the owners really want to be talking about commissioner discipline during the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl. I don’t think that’s good for our business. I’m sure they don’t think it’s good for our business.”
Let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the NFL…
- Having long been on top of the Los Angeles relocation rumors swirling around a trio of NFL teams, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times takes a step back to evaluate where the situation stands now, using a Q&A format to address the most frequently-asked questions about the possibility of the Rams, Chargers, or Raiders moving to L.A.
- Field Yates of ESPN.com examines a few teams that might like to have do-overs on big offseason transactions, noting that neither the Eagles nor the Rams have made out particularly well in their Sam Bradford/Nick Foles swap. Yates also identifies the Seahawks‘ acquisition of Jimmy Graham and the Cowboys‘ plan to replace DeMarco Murray as moves that haven’t worked out as planned.
- There are at least 10 NFL teams – and probably more – that will consider drafting a quarterback in the spring of 2016, according to Mike Sando and Mel Kiper of ESPN.com, who take a look at the clubs in need of QBs, along with a few of the top college options available to them.
- Alabama already had two defensive linemen – A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed – projected as potential first-round picks, and there are some in NFL circles that believe Jonathan Allen could make it three first-round defensive linemen for the Crimston Tide, writes Matt Zenitz of AL.com.
NFC North Notes: Lions, Forte, Ringo
Earlier today, we rounded up several Lions-related items, which focused on the hiring of new team president Rod Wood. Many of the reactions to that move have been been skeptical, calling into question Wood’s lack of football-related experience and his close relationship with the Ford family. However, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com argues that while Wood’s hiring may not be a popular decision among Lions fans, that doesn’t mean it’ll be a bad move.
Here’s more from around the NFC North:
- Bears running back Jeremy Langford has looked good in an increased role with Matt Forte injured in recent weeks, raising more questions about Forte’s future in Chicago beyond 2015, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. While Forte says he’s willing to share the load in the Bears’ backfield, he acknowledges that there’s no guarantee he’ll still be with the team in 2016. “Chicago is kind of like that: ‘Well, see ya later, Matt,'” Forte said, referring to some narratives from the local media. “I’m like, ‘Man, I’ve been here going on eight years, y’all just going to throw me to the side like that?’ But that’s the nature of the NFL. And I don’t mind. I will play wherever I end up.”
- Packers defensive lineman Christian Ringo is on the team’s practice squad, but as of last week, he’s earning active-roster money, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. According to Yates, Ringo is one of several practice squad players around the NFL who is earning $25,588 per week, which is equivalent to the minimum salary for a rookie on the 53-man roster.
- Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has no interest in revisiting his time in Denver as Chicago prepares to host the Broncos this week, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. “It’s so far removed,” Cutler said. “Coaching staff has changed. The only player I can really think of that was on the team is maybe Ryan Clady. I don’t know if there’s anybody else on that team at this point.”
Lions Notes: Wood, GM Search, Ownership
Speaking today to WJR-AM in Detroit, new Lions president Rod Wood confirmed that he will “probably” not be involved with the team’s personnel decisions going forward. However, he’ll be involved in managing the salary cap and other financial decisions that affect the franchise, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes.
The football and personnel decisions figure to be handled by the new general manager, and Wood said today that the Lions are “just embarking upon the next steps of that [GM search].” According to Birkett, many league observers believe the club will likely hire a young GM who is one of the candidates formally identified by the NFL. We heard yesterday about a few executives Detroit may be considering.
Here’s more out of Detroit:
- The top candidates for the Lions’ GM job will have questions that need to be answered about the ownership structure and succession plan for the franchise, Birkett notes (via Twitter). However, Wood’s presence doesn’t make the job any less appealing. Birkett suggests that Lions ownership ought to hire someone from the NFL’s GM advisory board as a consultant to help conduct the search and to sit in on interviews with candidates (Twitter link).
- The hiring of Wood, just two weeks after owner Martha Ford promised to conduct “a national serach for the best leadership to manage our team going forward,” doesn’t sit right with Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press, who says Wood’s main qualification for the position is that he has earned the Fords’ trust.
- As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk outlines, the fact that Wood said he “probably” won’t be involved in personnel decisions, rather than dismissing the idea outright, may be a cause for concern. Florio also points out that if Sheila Ford Hamp were to be next in line to take over the franchise, Wood could end up acting as a surrogate owner for a while, since he’s a “close confidante” of Hamp.
- Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com provides five things to know about the Lions’ new president.
AFC Notes: Titans, H. Jackson, Fitzpatrick, Jets
While there’s a chance that interim head coach Mike Mularkey could hang onto the Titans‘ job with a solid showing down the stretch, the team is believed to be interested in Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, among other potential candidates, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links).
Although he cautions that it’s still very early, Rapoport says that Jackson is a “hot candidate” in Tennessee, and would have joined the Titans a couple years ago if the team had hired Mike Zimmer as its head coach instead of Ken Whisenhunt.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, the Jets have not yet initiated exploratory discussions on a contract extension for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. In Mehta’s view, however, it would make a lot of sense for the team to start pushing for a new deal for the veteran signal-caller, whose current pact expires after the 2015 season.
- Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman confirmed today to reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), that the injury keeping him out the rest of the season is a partially torn PCL. The rookie wideout, placed on IR this week, doesn’t feel like he’ll need to undergo surgery on the knee.
- With an opportunity to start for the Broncos in Week 11 and perhaps beyond that, quarterback Brock Osweiler would put himself in a good position for a contract extension from the team with a strong performance, as Rand Getlin of the NFL Network explains (video link).
- The Jets are bringing in free agent offensive lineman Blaine Clausell for a visit this evening, according to his agent, Brett Tessler (Twitter link). Clausell was cut from the Patriots’ practice squad earlier today.
Washington Signs Christine Michael To PS
3:51pm: As expected, Washington has cut running back Mack Brown from the practice squad to create space for Michael, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
3:40pm: Just two days after he was cut by the Cowboys, running back Christine Michael has caught on with another NFC East team, signing today with Washington, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, Michael will be joining the club’s 10-man practice squad, rather than the 53-man roster.
Michael, who turned 25 last Monday, was acquired by the Cowboys from the Seahawks in a trade earlier this year, and had been expected to get an increased workload after Joseph Randle was demoted and then released. However, it was the veteran, Darren McFadden, who ended up taking many of those carries, prompting Dallas to waive Michael and take a flier on Robert Turbin this week. In five games with the Cowboys, Michael ran for just 51 yards on 15 attempts, adding a single reception for two yards.
Washington doesn’t currently have an opening on its practice squad, so the team will have to remove a player when it officially announces the addition of Michael — running back Mack Brown looks like a potential candidate to be cut, unless the club wants to carry multiple backs on the taxi squad.
It will probably take an injury for Michael to get a promotion to Washington’s 53-man roster, since Alfred Morris and Matt Jones have been a solid 1-2 punch for the team so far, while Chris Thompson has done good third-down work.
Michael was a second-round pick in 2013 for the Seahawks, back when current Washington general manager Scot McCloughan was still working in Seattle, so McCloughan is familiar with the former Texas A&M back. It’s also worth noting that Washington still has two games left against Michael’s old team in Dallas, so he may be able to provide a bit of intel on the division rivals.
Lions Hire Rod Wood As President
The Lions have officially hired Rod Wood as the team’s new president, the club announced today in a press release. Wood takes over the position that was previously held by Tom Lewand, until he was let go along with general manager Martin Mayhew earlier this month.
Wood, who was served as the president and CEO of Ford Estates, has “worked closely” with the Lions organization for the last eight years, according to the team release. He’ll oversee the business side of the franchise, and will report directly to owner Martha Firestone Ford.
“I am humbled and honored to accept this position,” Wood said in a statement. “Mrs. Ford has made it clear that her goal, and the goal of the Ford Family, is to make the Detroit Lions a championship football team and organization. In my role as team President, I will do everything possible to provide our organization with all the means necessary to succeed on the football field and provide our fans and city with a championship organization both on and off the field.”
With Wood taking over the role as president, the Lions will now move forward in their search for a general manager, with Ford stating that the club now has “the ability to move more decisively” in that search. She also announced an advisory board for the GM search, which includes herself, Wood, and the team’s board of directors and vice chairmen, all of whom are members of the Ford family.
The Lions remain unlikely to formally name a new GM until after the regular season, but the team figures to identify potential candidates and perhaps put out feelers in the next few weeks. For now, Sheldon White remains the interim general manager in Detroit.
AFC South Notes: Colts, Texans, QBs
There has been plenty of quarterback shuffling going on in the AFC South recently, with the return of a healthy Marcus Mariota prompting the Titans to release Charlie Whitehurst, who was claimed off waivers by the Colts, who are without Andrew Luck for a few weeks. Meanwhile, the Texans, having cut Ryan Mallett earlier this year, grabbed Brandon Weeden off waivers from the Cowboys this week.
Today’s round-up of AFC South notes, in advance of tonight’s Titans/Jaguars game, focuses on those moves, so let’s dive right in…
- One AFC South executive expressed “displeasure and dismay” that the Titans would cut Whitehurst at the exact moment that the Colts were looking for a backup for Matt Hasselbeck, says Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. As Schefter explains, Whitehurst hasn’t exactly been a world-beater when he’s gotten a chance to play, but one AFC South source suggested he’d rather see the Colts have to rely on a less experienced backup.
- The Texans‘ motive for claiming Weeden? They’ll likely need a veteran backup of their own this weekend, since Brian Hoyer is expected to miss Week 11 due to a concussion, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. With T.J. Yates lined up for the start, practice squad signal-caller Zac Dysert would have been the next man up as the No. 2 if Houston hadn’t made a move.
- Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk wonders if the Texans were also motivated to claim Weeden so the Colts couldn’t. Both teams have the same record, but Houston has faced a slightly weaker schedule, giving them waiver priority over Indianapolis. Considering Weeden used to play for current Indy offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, the Colts may preferred him over Whitehurst as Hasselbeck’s backup.
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